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A Day in the Life of a Flyball Dog

Tournament Come and Gone

Well my flyball tournament has come and gone once again. I think it always goes too fast but Mom sometimes thinks it's too long. I'm the one running not her! She only has to catch me and not let me run again until it's my turn. What's so hard about that? I'm only 85 pounds of bursting energy - it shouldn't be that difficult! :-)

My Mom says I did real good at the tournament. I only had to rerun twice but it wasn't my fault. It was a combination of Mom and the other dog. Mom released me too early and the other dog didn't cross the start line fast enough before I did!!!

I think it's just about nap time. As much as I love those flyball tournaments, they do wear me out! Yap later!

Yipee!

I can't wait! I can't wait till tomorrow cause my Mom's taking me to a flyball tournament. Yeah!!! I just love flyball! I love to run and run and run. I have to admit, it does tire me out but I LOVE it. Well I better go and take a nap so I can rest up. Wish me luck! :)

So What's Flyball?

Flyball? Let's go! What are we waiting for? As my Mom can tell you, I LOOOVE flyball. If it didn't wear me out so much, I would do it twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week!

Now...for those of you who don't know what flyball is, let me give you an explanation. Actually I'll just give you explanation that's on my flyball team's flyer...... "Flyball is a fast-pace, team sport for dogs that was invented in California in the late 1970's / early 1980's. Flyball relay reaces match two teams of four dogs (and 1-2 alternates) each, racing side-by-side over a 51 foot long course. The races begins on the judge's signal as the first dog crosses the start line, clears four hurdles (8" - 16" high) spaced ten feet apart, and steps on a spring-loaded box triggering the release of a tennis ball. The dog must retrieve the ball and run back over the four hurdles. Once the dog crosses the start line, the next dog is sent to run the same pattern until all four dogs have run. Since this is a team sport, not only does your dog have to fast and accurate, but so do the rest of the dogs on your team. It isn't all up to the dogs either, since the handlers need to time the release of their dog to coincide with the return of the previous dog. Early passes, dropped balls, and missed jumps are errors which are penalized by a rerun of the dog which costs the team time and usually the race. It isn't always the fastest team who wins, but often the most accurate team takes home the ribbons or trophies."

So that's the technicalities of flyball. All I know is that I love it and can't get enough of it. Mom brings me to practice every Sunday night and we go to several tournaments throughout the year. I would like to go to more but Mom can't afford it. Not only does she have to pay my entry fee but she also has to pay for transportation and the hotel room for me to stay in! So we go to the ones we can and I run my heart out.

All for now.